“You’ve always acted like you were aware of the cameras.”

Mio began, her words spilling out as if she had been holding them back.

“In the living room, in the rooms… We always talked in the glass corridor or in the garden, where it felt safe. And every time you wanted to go outside, you asked Master Theo’s permission. If you didn’t ask, you stayed inside. Yesterday, when the phone rang, you didn’t answer it – you just stared at it, stunned. Your daily routine is always the same. You never go out, you never invite anyone. You just follow the same pattern, day after day, almost as if… as if Master Theo wants you to.

Mio had been paying close attention. The girl I had thought of as naive was far smarter and more observant than I’d imagined. Too much so. And she was brave, recklessly so. The inner workings of noble households were complicated, messy, and dangerous. Commoners who got involved often found themselves in harm’s way. Yet here she was, throwing herself between Theo and me like a moth drawn to a flame.

Her words struck deep, and for a moment, I felt the weight of her courage. She understood the danger but still chose to stand by me.

Of course, from the moment I started talking to her, Mio had already dipped her toes into the complexities of my situation. That’s why it hurt so much. I didn’t want to hurt her.

Whether she knew about my guilt or not, she stood before me and faced my miserable reality with unshakable confidence.

“Where did he place the cameras?”

I asked, my voice lower than I had intended.

“The mirrors in the living room and the rooms are cameras. In Seyon, it’s possible to cast a spell on mirrors with camera functions. It’s high-level magic.”

My head was spinning. I remembered frantically searching every corner of the basement for hidden cameras, convinced that Theo was watching me. They had been there all along. I suddenly remembered the little round mirror above the sink – it had been staring at me all along.

The realization made me feel sick. It was all so obvious now, but I had missed it.

I collapsed onto the sunbed, my legs buckling beneath me as the weight of it all came crashing down. My wet body felt cold and I wrapped my arms around myself to fight the chill. A shiver ran through me, but it wasn’t just the cold – it was the weight of everything I was trying to hide.

“How did you come to this? Why is Master Theo doing this?”

I didn’t know where to start. How could I explain this mess to her? How could I explain the twisted relationship between me and Theo, especially to someone so young, someone who had only recently come of age? The moment I opened my mouth, Mio would be fully entangled in the tangled web that Theo and I had woven – there would be no turning back for her.

Mio could still turn away, retreat, align herself with Theo, and blend into the normalcy he presented to the world. But judging by how determined she seemed now, I knew deep down that she wouldn’t. She wasn’t the type to turn away, even if it meant putting herself in danger.

I wanted to speak. I’d struggled alone for so long and the urge to finally tell someone – anyone – what I’d been through was overwhelming. It was like releasing emotions that had been buried deep for years. So I opened my mouth and began to speak, the words pouring out before I could stop them.

“I was a doctor in Arkel. Theo was my patient. And then… we fell in love. We were together for four years, but we broke up after a small fight. At least I thought it was small, but for Theo, it wasn’t. One day, after work, I was walking home and suddenly I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in the basement of this villa.

“The basement?”

She didn’t seem to know about the basement’s existence. I nodded.

I didn’t tell her the rest – that Theo suffered from dissociative identity disorder. Even now I found myself protecting his privacy, shielding him as I always had, even in the midst of this mess.

Damn it,’ I thought bitterly. Even at this moment I was still acting as his doctor, still bound by the principles of patient confidentiality.

This is not something that happens in the mind of a sane person – kidnapping and imprisonment don’t just happen. The one who kidnapped me and broke me was Theo’s third personality, Cane.

“I think I spent about 30 days in the cellar. I promised Theo that I’d stay by his side, so I was allowed to come up to the first floor.”

Mio remained silent. Her face, which I had once seen as nothing but sweet and innocent, was now clouded with deep sadness. Seeing her share my grief stirred something inside me, a flood of emotions rising in my chest. It felt overwhelming to have someone who understood and shared my grief.

“What are you going to do? Are you going to escape?”

What was I doing, involving this young girl in something so dangerous?

My rational mind screamed at me to keep her away, to protect her from the twisted world I was trapped in. And yet, despite the voice, I found myself nodding. I couldn’t lie anymore. I wanted out.

“I’m afraid Theo might hurt you.”

I admitted, finally voicing the fear that had haunted me for days.

Mio, always calm and unflappable, gave me a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry about me. Even if I get fired from this mansion, there are plenty of places that would take me. I’ve built up a reputation for being good at my job, which is how I ended up at Goldrain Estate in the first place.”

But that wasn’t what I was afraid of. I wasn’t just worried about her losing her job – I was terrified that Theo, or worse, Cane, might be sinking into something far more sinister. The Theo I once knew would never have done such a thing, but now… I couldn’t be sure. His darkness seemed to grow deeper with each passing day.

If I were alone, I might be braver, more reckless. But Mio – her trust in me had become both a blessing and a burden. While her help had been invaluable, it had also raised the stakes. She was no longer just a source of information; she was someone I cared about. The thought of her being caught in the crossfire, of her suffering because of my situation, weighed heavily on me. She had become the anchor that both grounded me and filled me with fear.

Getting her involved had been a stroke of luck, but it had also increased my anxiety. How could I protect her while trying to save myself?

“This is my plan.”

Mio said, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of hope and determination. The brightness in her gaze was so infectious that I found myself drawn in, almost as if her energy alone could carry us through this impossible situation.

“First, I’m going to ask Master Theo for some vacation leave.”

“Vacation leave?”

I echoed, a little confused.

“Yes, I’ll ask for a whole week if I can. During my leave, I’ll be outside waiting for you. On the second day of my leave, you’ll escape through the back gate. From there, you’ll either walk or cycle to the Goldrain Bridge. There will be a carriage waiting, and I’ll be inside.

Mio’s plan was bold, far more daring than I had expected. Her confidence left little room for hesitation, and the fact that she had thought so far ahead, down to the smallest detail, left me in awe. It was as if she had been preparing for this moment all along.

Her fearlessness was both inspiring and unsettling. She was taking a risk, and deep down I couldn’t shake the fear that something might go wrong. But for the first time in a long time, I felt a glimmer of hope. “We’ll take the carriage straight to Bluein Port. We may have to change horses on the way, as it’s a two-day journey at full speed. Once we reach Bluein, you can board a ship for Arkel. Fortunately, I have a maid friend in Bluein who can help with the arrangements.”

“What about you?”

“Me? Why worry about me? I’m just on leave, remember? I’ll say I’m going to visit my sister in the capital for a week. Even Master Theo can’t interfere in a maid’s private life that much.”

My heart raced. Mio’s plan seemed sound, even realistic. The only thing that worried me was that Theo was unpredictable – prone to madness – so there was always the fear of unexpected complications. But apart from that, it felt like something we could put into action soon.

“Do you think Theo could catch us in those two days?”

“How would he even know?”

“Master Theo won’t know if you went to Bluein or Redin. He’ll probably assume you went to the nearest Redin airport or port. He might even think you went to the capital since it’s only a day’s journey away.”

Despite her confident words, my fear didn’t fade. It was that familiar hesitation that comes when the possibility of escape is finally within reach. I was afraid – afraid to make such a bold attempt.

But I wanted to try. Who knew if I’d ever get another chance like this?

Mio might change her mind, or worse, Theo might sense something was wrong and tighten his grip, his suspicions growing, making any future escape even more impossible.

I had to take the chance while it was here. If I missed this chance, there was no telling when – or if – I would ever get another.